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2022’s top Christmas shopping categories revealed as number of Aussies looking for a holiday season bargain jumps by 28%

2 minute read | December 2022

Australians look set to spend big on food and drinks this Christmas, as well as gifts for loved ones, but almost 1 in 10 say they won’t be buying presents for anyone at all

Sydney, 5 December 2022 – According to Nielsen’s 2022 Retail Barometer, 90% of Australian shoppers plan to participate in Christmas and December sales over the coming weeks – up 28% on the year before.

As the economy softens, price is increasingly important for Christmas shoppers, with 53% saying their top consideration when buying a gift this year will be good value for money.

41% say they’ll be shopping for gifts that create a special memory, 40% will be looking for gifts that stand out from previous presents, 18% will only shop for experiences (rather than “things”), and 17% will be giving personalised gifts, rather than “off-the-shelf” stocking-stuffers. 

While more than half of all Austrlaians (55%) will buy gifts for their spouse or partner this year, 9% say they won’t be buying gifts for anyone at all.

That’s a stark contrast to Boxing Day sales purchase intentions, with 71% saying they’ll use the post-Christmas discount period to shop purely for themselves.

With lockdowns long gone around the country, Australians plan to spend this Christmas with loved ones in record numbers. Unsurprisingly, groceries and drinks will be the top purchase category this Christmas, with an average spend per shopper of $303. Fashion is second on the list with an average spend of $239, followed by giftcards/egiftcards, beauty and wellbeing products, and toys/games.

Almost three-in-five Australians (59%) will spend Christmas visiting family and friends in person, giving and receiving gifts (53%), cooking up a storm at family lunches or dinners (52%), and shopping (52% in-store, 51% online).

Unlike other retail events, where shoppers prefer online platforms to research potential purchases, Christmas shoppers are more likely to decide on what to buy by visiting physical retail stores (52%), followed by brand and retailer websites (45%). More than one third of Christmas shoppers say they’ll also look at catalogues (paper and digital) to find the right Christmas purchase this year.

*Source: Nielsen 2022 Retail Barometer / Consumer and Media View (CMV)

Media Contact
Dan Chapman
Associate Director, Marketing & Communications,
Pacific, Nielsen
dan.chapman@nielsen.com
+61 404 088 462